Until recently DFCS told us that we were "In Compliance" with everything they asked us to do.
Our most recent Parent Aide gave me conflicting orders, that were going to jeopardize all of our other efforts to do the things that were necessary to repair and prepare our home.
I had met with my attorney here at my house. She had said that to comply, the basement must be cleaned out the rest of the way, and I had been told not to let anyone go down there until we did so. We also have had serious problems with mold, in the basement.
My attorney told me that the basement has to look clean, and smell clean, and not have any mold. We had to completely empty the basement and bleach it and everything that goes back into it. Of course it has to stay empty until someone from DFCS comes to inspect it. This means storing the contents in other parts of the house. Nobody has come to inspect it.
I told the parent aide that I wanted to work on the basement, that on the advice of my attorney we needed to prioritize the basement. That she could certainly see it but that it would be best if we worked on it first.
She wrote a contract with me that specified that I would do these two things.
1. clean the basement
2. reorganize the laundry room
She said she would research fire codes on storing lumber and on storing laundry near a clothes dryer. I was supposed to have accomplished this in ONE week.
The Parent Aide also told me, in passing, that my carport was a big issue and that the lumber and other things would have to be removed from it, and that in addition to cleaning the basement and reorganizing all our clothing, that I should remove some of the boards that I had been storing, dry, in the carport, and that the wood working setup was messy.
Links showing some of the internal construction and rectification work we have done [plumbing - closets - flooring - deck - under deck], and the dumpster in the process of being filled will be placed here.
I would expect that anyone who has visited or seen a house construction site would be aware of the waste material, and the storage of as yet unused material, which surrounds a seven-day a week construction job; ours is no different from a building site in that respect, except that it takes a considerably longer time where remedial work on a building has to take place during "spare time".
She kept saying that she "had not done her homework", so I checked with several sources, and found that Georgia does not have laws or codes governing how lumber may be stored indoors, or how laundry rooms must be arranged.
She then said she would bring a Fire Marshall to my house, to which my lawyer said I was not to allow that, so I asked the Parent Aide to speak with my lawyer.
As mentioned, no one has requested access to see the basement, despite instructions to me about what should be done to it. Now my Parent Aide services have been terminated without any discussion, after becoming very haphazard, so it seems unlikely that anyone will see it.
I found out what happened is that DFCS contracts with another agency for parent aide services and transportation. The contract expired with the agency they were using and they have not begun a contract yet with a new agency so many families are out of pocket for transporting children. I don't get another parent aide, apparently.
How can a government department be so slack in not arranging contract renewals in advance of their expiring?
I did speak with Miranda Caldwell, who is my younger children's foster parent, on the phone, after she got back to her house with our kids on Sunday. She and I talked about the children a little, and I was able to ask her if I could call the children myself, as it is very difficult for them to remember that they want to call home, with all that they do there and daycare until after 6:30 pm.
Miranda said yes!! and gave me her phone number ! However, Miranda and her husband only rarely answer the phone.
We have not been able to call our children since last November, nearly three months at the time of updating this page.
This has been highlighted by a number of medical issues which appear to have gone untreated by foster parents, or which have been inappropriately treated. A page showing photographical evidence will be linked here
There is also the matter of the clothing we have provided our children with, which seems to get "lost" when they go back to their foster homes. Does it get given to other peoples' children? Does it get thrown away? Where does it go?
It now appears that DFCS have "lost" the court orders giving details of visits and telephone calls with our children. Here are details requested from my attorney.
The communications nightmare with DFCS over the Christmas-New Year break really needs to be described in detail, as otherwise it is almost unbelievable. A link to a page about it will be placed here.
We do not yet have another date for our Final Hearing to take place. I don't want to go back to Court without as many things as possible prepared.
I've been trying to put up a metal awning under the new deck in back, so that I can move everything out of the carport in front, and have a dry place to work.
I attended a 3 day seminar in Social Role Valorization in May. I discovered that my home creates an image of us in people's minds.
I would really like to have the exterior woodwork painted and a new front porch/ramp in front. Our house does not look good in this neighborhood. The ramp for Craig's wheelchair is much too short and steep and has no railings.
Our Homeowner's insurance policy has now been canceled, and the new company needs photographs of the house.
I have beautiful new Ceramic tile in the Kitchen thanks to my dear friend Scott and Barry Davidson my Good Cents Counsellor with Perimeter. Barry also paid for new laminate flooring, which has been partially installed, he ran out of money to pay the carpenter. I have two more bedrooms left to go, and some finishing work, especially in the kitchen.
Perimeter Church, and our old Church, New Church of Atlanta, helped finish the back deck. Photo pages here, for the deck and the under deck.
We want our children to come home.
Carol and Stuart Sylvester have been our liaisons from Peachtree Corners Circle small group fellowship (770-446-8787)
On a personal note about Perimeter Church; we aren't involved with Bible Studies at this time. Zephaniah, my son did attend Inquirer's in June 2003, and he plans to become a member, but it's hard to attend classes on weekends. My son Zechariah also attended some of the Inquirer's Seminar. I really appreciated Jerry's teaching. I have learned much more than I thought I would. Chris, Zeph and I were very blessed to know him and being a part of his classes.
Linda Hull
Oh, if you didn't know, SWAT stands for...